Wildlife report reveals decline in bushmeat poaching

Although data indicates that there has been a decline in meat poaching in Namibia over the past few years, a new report on wildlife protection says it is inconclusive as many cases go unreported.

According to the latest Namibia National Report for Wildlife Protection, bushmeat poaching is recognised as one of the biggest threats to wildlife populations in many parts of the world.

It states that meat poaching is a complex sector, driven by diverging motivations, from incidental subsistence poaching for survival to well-organised commercial poaching for gain.

In 2019, a total of 265 cases of meat poaching were reported, dropping to 144 in 2023.

The report found that the current data for registered meat poaching cases does show a steady decline after a massive peak in 2019, but this data reflects only cases involving giraffe, buffalo, zebras, antelopes and warthog killings.

“A significant number of other species are killed for meat, with registered cases involving monitor lizards, aardvark, porcupine, springhare, hares, cane rat, and a variety of birds. Other small mammals are likely also killed for food.

“Current data is believed to be an incomplete reflection of meat poaching for additional reasons.”

Challenges highlighted

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many incidents remain undetected, while others are known but not reported, as landholders feel they have insufficient evidence to motivate case registration, that law-enforcement responses will be ineffective, or that reporting of powerful criminals will have negative repercussions.

According to the report, the ability to record cases is complicated by the fact that the entire carcasses of poached animals are often removed from crime scenes, at most leaving blood stains and tracks as evidence.

“The infamous activity of roadside poaching at night, shooting animals from well-equipped vehicles using spotlights and rifles with silencers, is believed to be widespread in many areas with relatively abundant game, including some national parks.”

This type of poaching is likely used to supply meat to urban centres, where it is sold as ‘kapana’ or laundered into commercial butcheries and sold at premium prices.

Illegal

As part of its sustainable-use approaches, Namibia allows the legal harvesting of game for meat. A few species, such as kudu, gemsbok, springbok, warthog, and some game birds, are defined as huntable game.

The report noted that attempts to bypass these legislative stipulations and launder illicitly harvested meat into the legal sector are widespread, adding complexity to the meat-poaching sector. Occasional arrests are recorded at police roadblocks or through targeted investigations, but it is believed that here, too, prevalence is underreported.

All such illicit practices are putting wildlife in many parts of the country under significant strain, the report emphasised.

Data shows that in 2019, a total of 585 arrests were made with 249 convictions, and last year, 297 arrests were made with 65 convictions.

The time between arrests and case finalisation is generally shorter in meat-poaching cases than in other organised wildlife crime categories, as this involves more limited trafficking chains and fewer intermediaries.